The present invention relates to crib devices, more particularly to a crib platform device kit and method of using the device for as a rapid and convenient means for erecting a temporary buttress underneath an overhanging obstruction.
Rescue squads face a number of challenging task to search for trapped people in collapsed building. One primary goal of rescue team members is not to become a victim as well. Therefore, it is vital to stabilized potentially dangerous crevices by using crib devices to build temporary buttresses over various entrances prior to insertion of rescue team members through these crevices. A wide variety of crib devices is currently available on the commercial market and an even larger number of these types of devices are known in the art of crib devices, for example, the cribbing disclosed by Flath in U.S. Pat. No. 1,773,579; the cribbing disclosed by Alexander in U.S. Pat. No. 2,197,960; the filler for filling in defects or hollow portions of bones disclosed by Niwa et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,497,075; the mine support crib disclosed by Reinmann and McCartney in U.S. Pat. No. 5,746,547; the interconnected cribbing system disclosed by Marianski and Marianski in U.S. Pat. No. 6,250,849; and the header for cribbing disclosed by Risi and Risi in U.S. Pat. No. D279,030.
While all of the above-described devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a crib platform device having a first platform unit, a second platform unit, and a lock bar reversibly locking together the first platform unit to the second platform unit, in which the second platform unit has a flexible strap. This combination of elements would specifically match the user""s particular individual needs of making it possible to conveniently tote this device to a work site in order to rapidly use this device to build a temporary buttress underneath an overhanging obstruction. The above-described patents make no provision for a crib platform device having a first platform unit, a second platform unit, and a lock bar reversibly locking together the first platform unit to the second platform unit, in which the second platform unit has a flexible strap.
Therefore, a need exists for a new and improved crib platform device having a first platform unit, a second platform unit, and a lock bar reversibly locking together the first platform unit to the second platform unit, in which the second platform unit has a flexible strap. In this respect, the crib platform device according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of providing a means for conveniently toting a crib platform device to a work site in order to rapidly use this device to as a means for building a temporary buttress underneath an overhanging obstruction.
The present device, kit and method of using, according to the principles of the present invention, overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a crib platform device, kit and method of using is disclosed. The device comprises a first platform unit, a second platform unit, and a lock bar reversibly locking together the first platform unit to the second platform unit. The first platform unit comprises a generally flat panel and a plurality of elongated blocks attached to the top surface of the panel in which each block is aligned substantially parallel to each other block and spaced apart from each other block by a distance of at least the width of each block. The second platform unit comprises a flexible strap and a plurality of elongated beams attached to the flexible strap 26 in which each beam is also aligned substantially parallel to each other beam and spaced apart from each others beam by a distance of at least the width of each beam. The first and second platform units may be mated together by connecting together the blocks of the first platform unit alternately together with the plurality of beams of the second platform unit. The first and second platform units may be locked together with a lock beam traversing through the mated plurality of blocks and beams, respectively. The kit comprises the unassembled components of the device. The method of using comprises the steps of adjusting, aligning, carrying, crawling, dropping, grabbing, mating, obtaining, positioning, placing, pulling, putting, reposing, sliding, taking, and wearing.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known type crib platform devices now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved crib platform device, which will be described subsequently in great detail, is to provide a new and improved crib platform device which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by the prior art, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises a first platform unit, a second platform unit, and a lock bar reversibly locking together the first platform unit to the second platform unit. The first platform unit comprises a generally flat panel and a plurality of elongated blocks attached to the top surface of the panel in which each block is aligned substantially parallel to each other block and spaced apart from each other block by a distance of at least the width of each block. The second platform unit comprises a flexible strap and a plurality of elongated beams attached to the flexible strap 26 in which each beam is also aligned substantially parallel to each other beam and spaced apart from each others beam by a distance of at least the width of each beam. The first and second platform units may be mated together by connecting together the blocks of the first platform unit alternately together with the plurality of beams of the second platform unit. The first and second platform units may be locked together with a lock beam traversing through the mated plurality of blocks and beams, respectively.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution of the art may be better appreciated.
Numerous objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading of the following detailed description of presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiments of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompany drawings. In this respect, before explaining the current embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved crib platform device that has all the advantages of the prior art crib platform device and none of the disadvantages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved crib platform device that may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved crib platform device that has a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such multipurpose storage unit and system economically available to the buying public.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new crib platform device that provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thererof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.
Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a crib platform device having a first platform unit, a second platform unit, and a lock bar reversibly locking together the first platform unit to the second platform unit, in which the second platform unit has a flexible strap. This combination of elements makes it possible to conveniently tote this device to a work site in order to rapidly use this device to build a temporary buttress underneath an overhanging obstruction.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a kit comprising the unassembled components of the device.
Lastly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved method of using comprises the steps of adjusting, aligning, carrying, crawling, dropping, grabbing, mating, obtaining, positioning, placing, pulling, putting, reposing, sliding, taking, and wearing.
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientist, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.